Radar Love
by MDRevolutionFan
Summary: No Blackout AU-Bass is the midnight-6am DJ at a Chicago radio station, and Charlie is a recent college graduate with a bright future. Her A/C is busted and Charlie can't sleep! Making matters worse is that she has too much on her mind. She decides the sexy-sounding DJ (and some music) would be a perfect distraction. Part of The Good Ship Charloe's "Summer Lovin'" fic event.
1. Rainy Days And Mondays

A/N: Charlie and Bass are the same ages here as we know and love them from the show, but I set this story in the present because I just don't believe broadcast radio (and probably not satellite either) will still be a thing in 2029. Also, I don't know how radio stations operate nowadays (I'm sure everything's more automated now than it used to be), so please excuse me if anything seems off.

Special thank yous to LemonSupreme for her help and guidance, and suggestions, and to everyone in the Charloe Book Club for their encouragement, moral support and friendship. :D

Story title is inspired by the song 'Radar Love' by Golden Earring.

PS: I created a playlist on Spotify that includes all the songs mentioned in the story, updated as new chapters are added, that includes: chapter titles (they'll all be song titles too), everything I imagine Bass playing while Charlie's listening, and a few personal Charloe favorites of mine. PM me if you'd like the link. Fanfiction won't let me post the link here or in my profile.

* * *

Monday Night

It was 1:30am and Charlie Matheson had been trying for almost two hours, but she _just couldn't_ get to sleep. The air conditioning in her apartment had picked the hottest July day in Chicago's history to break down, and she was _miserable_. The humidity level _had_ to be near 100% and there was _no_ breeze outside, so even with the window open and the ceiling fan on, it was just too hot and muggy in her small bedroom to get comfortable. But, that wasn't the only thing keeping Charlie awake tonight...

 _She'd graduated from University of Illinois in May with a degree in Computer Science and received several job offers from some of the best tech companies in the country. Charlie had narrowed her choices down to two, one in town at Pittman Digital, owned by close family friend, Aaron Pittman, and the other at Google in California. She had until September to decide though, so she'd taken a job helping her best and oldest friend, Harmony, with her vintage jewelry business to help pay the bills until she made her decision. Studying Computer Science had been her mother's idea and Charlie was good at it, she even liked it, but in working with Harmony, she'd realized she didn't_ love _working with computers as much as she_ did _love creating and restoring jewelry. Charlie and Harmony had learned how to design and make jewelry together, and working with her had reminded Charlie just how much she enjoyed it. But it wasn't_ just _making jewelry; Charlie was also helping run the business and building Harmony's web presence, thus enabling Charlie to use_ both _talents._

 _Yesterday, Charlie had told her parents that she was considering turning down both tech job offers and working with Harmony permanently. Rachel had said that_ 'doing crafts,' _as she'd put it, was a waste of Charlie's intelligence, completely ignoring the fact that she was also developing Harmony's website and ordering system. At first, her father was upset too that Charlie would be wasting her very expensive education, but after he'd had a few hours to digest it, Ben said he would accept her decision, whichever she chose. Her brother, Danny, had simply said from the beginning that Charlie should do whatever made her happy._

 _Rachel had yet to change her mind as the rest of Charlie's family had; and earlier today, they'd argued heatedly when Rachel called to make sure Charlie hadn't officially turned down the offers, and to reiterate that Charlie needed to_ think _about her future. Charlie knew Rachel loved her and meant well, that she just wanted her to_ 'utilize her full potential,' _but as a scientist, Rachel tended to look down on the trades and couldn't understand why Charlie would want to_ 'do work that was beneath her.' _It frustrated Charlie that her own mother couldn't understand that she wanted to be_ happy _in her career not_ just _successful._

 _As if being lectured by Rachel wasn't bad enough, Charlie had run into her ex-boyfriend, Jason, on the way home from work today. Seeing him wasn't the problem, the breakup had been Charlie's idea, but he'd had a beautiful brunette hanging on his arm, staring up at him adoringly. Jason had been vain and controlling in their relationship and Charlie was glad to be rid of him, the problem though was that it stung that he_ already _had a new girlfriend when Charlie hadn't even been on a single date in the three months since their split. It made Charlie realize it was time she met someone new too. At the very least, she needed to get laid,_ and soon _._

Coming home to the broken air conditioner was just icing on the cake that had been her bad day. Fortunately, the building superintendent said it would be fixed in the next day or two. Charlie just wished it would be that easy to get her mother to understand how she felt. Resigned, Charlie finally gave up any pretense of sleep and got out of bed; she needed to get her mind off things if she had any hope of getting to sleep before her alarm went off at 7am. Harmony had told her about a new late-night show on the local Classic Rock radio station called 'The Militia Takeover' with a DJ calling himself 'The General.' According to Harmony, he was a rebel who played _whatever_ music he felt like, Classic Rock or not, and he had a really sexy voice. Charlie decided now was a good time to check it out; if nothing else, music might be just what she needed to help her finally fall asleep.

Charlie padded out to the living room where she kept her portable radio, and turned it on. She didn't really listen to the radio much, but Aaron had given it to her, already tuned to the correct frequency, last year when he bought the very station she was now listening to, WBAK, Backbeat 107.1.

According to the information on the display screen, AWOLNATION's 'Burn It Down' was playing; she loved the song, a lot, but it wasn't exactly the relaxing music or sexy-sounding DJ Charlie had hoped for, maybe he would be on next, but while she waited, she needed to cool off. She carried the radio into the kitchen, leaving it on the counter while she took a can of soda from the refrigerator and put it against the back of her neck, sighing with relief as its coolness seeped into her body. She sat down at the table to wait for The General to make an appearance.

As Charlie waited, she drank the soda and worked on a crossword puzzle; she was still hot, but at least she'd been able to quiet her mind a bit. After three more songs - all good, but dark and no more soothing than the first - and a commercial break that included an ad for Jason's obnoxious father's insurance company, "Thanks Aaron, for selling that _dick_ airtime," Charlie grumbled, she decided to give up and try going back to bed. Just as she put her pencil down and was about to turn off the radio, there he was! Harmony had told her he sounded good, but Charlie wasn't prepared for The General to sound _so_ hot just going through his spiel.

His voice was low, raspy, and so very male, and it was doing things to Charlie. She closed her eyes, imagining what he looked like and how it might feel to have his breath hot against her ear as he whispered into it. Considering she'd never laid eyes on the guy, the intensity of her arousal was surprising. Damn. She really did need to get laid.

She wanted to hear more, and not just through the radio's speakers... The best excuse to actually talk to The General was to request a song, so Charlie thought of one she'd been listening to a lot lately, one she liked hearing when she was short on hope or felt unsure, that was mellow enough to help her relax. Of course, Charlie had it on her phone so she could listen to it whenever she wanted, but _he_ didn't have to know that.

Charlie tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but he was already finishing announcing the next song and it began playing. She didn't catch the number for the request line, she wasn't even sure if he'd given it, so she had to look it up. After writing it down, she tapped the pencil against the table absently as she considered her next move. She really should just go back to bed, 7 o'clock would be here all too soon, but she didn't think she could ever get to sleep now - not after hearing _that voice_.

Decision made, Charlie took the radio into the bedroom, sat down on her double bed, leaned against the headboard, and placed the radio on the bed next to her. She turned the volume down so it wouldn't be distracting and picked up her cellphone from the nightstand and dialed.

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 _Bass Monroe had spent much of the last six months since retiring from the Marines moving from place to place and job to job trying to figure out where he belonged. Being a Marine was all Bass knew, he'd joined the Corps right after high school with his former best friend Miles Matheson, and now that he'd retired, he wasn't sure what to do with his life or where to live it._

 _Six weeks ago, Bass's second-oldest friend, Jeremy Baker, had called to offer him a job as a late-night DJ at the Chicago radio station he managed. He'd said the station's owner wanted something different in the overnight timeslot to boost their ratings and Jeremy had immediately thought of Bass, said he had_ 'just the right amount of _attitude_ and charisma they were looking for.' _At the time, Bass had been working as a pit boss in a seedy Las Vegas casino run by a weasel named Gould. Bass had only spent about a month there, but he'd hated Gould and being even indirectly involved in any of his even shadier side businesses, so when Jeremy called, Bass had only needed about thirty seconds to consider his offer before accepting. There had been one wrinkle to iron out though..._

 _Chicago was where Miles and his family lived, and he and Bass hadn't been on speaking terms for the past two years. But after nearly six months of moving around and nothing but tedious, nowhere jobs, Bass had been desperate enough to concede that Chicago was a big enough city for them both. Though a part of Bass missed his brother, he wasn't ready to let him back into his life yet, so he'd insisted that Jeremy not tell_ any _mutual acquaintances he was in town, and that he would use a made-up persona on-air. Bass hoped anonymity would keep the Mathesons in the dark long enough for him to find his footing before any of them inevitably found out he was there. Baker had agreed to his terms, and Bass bought a bus ticket to the windy city the next day._

So far, of all the jobs Bass had tried since leaving the Marines, this was the only one he liked enough to consider staying permanently. It didn't pay as much as he'd like, but he did like the hours and not having a douchebag boss constantly looking over his shoulder. Best of all, Jeremy, with Aaron Pittman's blessing, had given Bass the freedom to develop his new persona and play whatever music he wanted - within reason, and FCC regulations, of course.

At around 2am, Bass noticed the flashing light out of the corner of his eye indicating there was a call on the request line. Normally, he didn't even notice it, let alone answer, his policy being never to take requests, but tonight, a part of him wanted company, if only a voice on the phone. It was the anniversary of his parents and little sister's deaths at the hands of a drunk driver almost twenty years ago, and he still missed them terribly. The songs Bass had been playing tonight reflected his dark mood; some were about sadness and loss, but most were just the songs he liked to hear when he was royally pissed off. Bass needed someone to help pull him out of his funk, and at this point, he didn't care who it was on the line, though he really hoped it would be a woman. Six weeks in Chicago was too long to go without meeting someone.

Bass took a deep breath to prepare himself and answered the phone, "W-BAK?" he said more tersely than he'd intended. It was the first time he'd actually answered the request line and he wasn't sure what else to say.

"Uh, is this The General?" Charlie asked uncertain, she'd never called a DJ before. He sounded so annoyed and she was beginning to think calling him was a mistake.

Bass liked the sound of her voice, she sounded kinda sweet, and hot too, yet in spite of needing her company, he couldn't seem to bring himself to be friendlier, "Yeah...?" he confirmed, prompting her to continue.

His irritated tone made Charlie feel sure she'd indeed made a mistake, but she was a Matheson and hanging up now would be the chicken shit way out. She took a deep breath to steel herself, "I'd like to request a song?" she said.

"I don't do requests-," Bass began, still a little irritated.

He might sound incredibly sexy, and even more so on the phone, but he was being a jerk, "Wow," Charlie interrupted, "Sorry I bothered you," she said scathingly. "Why'd you even bother answering the phone then?" Charlie took the phone from her ear, ready to end the call in disgust.

Bass could tell she was about to hang up and he couldn't blame her, "Wait!" he pleaded, hoping to catch her before she did. He hadn't meant to be such a dick to her; he did want company after all.

Charlie heard the man and was tempted to press END anyway, but she decided to give him another chance and put the phone back up to her ear.

Bass knew she was still there when he heard her annoyed sigh, "I meant...," he hesitated, "I don't _usually_ take requests," he said firmly, "But...," he added, making himself sound nicer, "What the hell. Name your poison."

"'Maybe Tomorrow,' by Stereophonics," Charlie said matter-of-factly, still a little annoyed.

"Sorry. Hate it," Bass said flatly, "Besides, it's not Classic Rock," he added lamely. Bass knew she'd see right through that excuse, but he actually did hate the song and didn't want to play it.

"I thought not always playing Classic Rock was your thing?" she asked skeptically. "The General plays whatever he wants, _right_?" she teased. When he didn't answer right away, Charlie knew she was getting to him and decided to push, " _Please_ , she pleaded, "I'm having trouble sleeping, and it helps me fall asleep." She hoped she didn't sound too much like a girl trying to get out of a speeding ticket, but now she was having fun and just _had_ to goad him.

Bass was tempted to rib her about _why_ it was that that song _'helped her fall sleep,'_ but decided against it. He liked her persistence, and _almost_ gave in, but he refused to break his no request rule for _that_ song, "No," he finally answered flatly, " _But..._ ," he paused a few seconds to think of a song he did like that would still serve her need for something soothing, "How 'bout 'Kashmir?'" he asked.

Charlie considered it for a second, she loved that song, and it was definitely relaxing enough to help her sleep, "Ooh, that works," she purred. She had to admit The General had decent taste.

"'Kashmir,' it is then," he said pleasantly and added it to the queue. Bass realized talking to this woman was making him feel a little better - the fact that she sounded really sexy didn't hurt either - and he wasn't ready to let her hang up yet, "So... Why can't you sleep?" he asked.

"A/C's busted," Charlie answered resignedly. She suddenly realized that talking to The General had made her forget that fact for a little while; it was the first time all night that she hadn't noticed the heat.

"That sucks," he answered. Bass knew she must be miserable, and he felt bad for her, it was _sweltering_ outside tonight, but he couldn't help picturing how sexy she must look reclining on her bed, sweat-sheened, wearing just her underwear.

"Tell me about it!" Charlie agreed. "I'm tempted to go sit in front of the open fridge naked, or something." She snapped her mouth shut with a small gasp, realizing she might've gone a little too far with the flirting; she had no idea what made her say that to this complete stranger.

"Mmmmm," Bass purred, his mental image of her from moments before changing to one with even less clothing. He didn't know what she looked like, of course, but she just _had_ to be hot if she had enough attitude to tease him like that.

Charlie realized she'd better change the subject before things got out of hand. As hot as The General sounded, and probably looked too - she was sure of it - Charlie didn't really want to have phone sex with a complete stranger, "It makes it worse that I've got a lot on my mind too," she said seriously. She realized she _needed_ to talk about it, though she would only give him the 'CliffsNotes' version.

As much as he enjoyed flirting with her, being at work, Bass was sort of relieved she didn't take it any further, "Anything you wanna talk about?" Bass asked, genuinely curious, hoping she would. She'd helped him a little; maybe he could do the same for her.

Charlie sighed thoughtfully, "I just have a really big decision to make," she paused a moment, thinking how best to summarize, "And I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions." She couldn't help wondering what it was about this man that made her want to tell him _anything_ \- summary or otherwise.

"I hope you get it figured out," Bass said. He could tell there was more to the woman's story, but he also knew she probably didn't _want_ to tell him _everything_ , and he didn't want to pry. "Hey, what's your name? So I can say who the song's for?" That was true, but he also wanted to know her name, so it was the perfect excuse to ask.

She debated giving him a fake name, but the idea of hearing that sexy voice speaking directly to her through the radio speakers was too tempting. "Charlie," she said.

Bass was reminded that Miles' niece might've had the same name... _maybe_... It'd been so long since he'd seen her, when she was, like, five or something, so he wasn't entirely sure. _Even_ if her name _had_ been Charlie, _this_ Charlie couldn't possibly be the same girl; Miles' niece was just a kid, so he dismissed the thought. "So what's it short for?" he asked seductively.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Charlie answered coyly. She turned her head and caught sight of the time on her alarm clock. She didn't want to stop talking to The General yet, but she needed to get up in only a few short hours, so it was time to try again to sleep. "It's getting late. I gotta go," she said reluctantly, "But thanks for taking my request," she said, "I mean I know you're going against policy and all," she added teasingly.

"No problem," Bass said, unable to hide his disappointment that she was about to hang up, "I'll get it on after the next two songs and commercial; hopefully before you fall asleep," he added with a slight chuckle.

"Thanks again. Bye." Charlie took the phone from her ear and pressed END.

Charlie turned up the volume on the radio a little so she could hear and put it on the nightstand, along with her phone. She got situated on her side facing the radio, getting as comfortable as she could in the oven that was her bedroom to wait for The General to play her song.

Just as he'd said, Charlie only had to wait through two songs, both less moody than the ones she'd heard earlier, and a ad for the upcoming charity event at the Adler Planetarium she planned to attend, before The General announced he was about to play a request. "This next one's for Charlie. "Sorry, I was such a dick before," he said apologetically, "I was in a shitty mood before you called; didn't mean to take it out on you...," he trailed off, apparently realizing he was rambling.

But the song wasn't 'Kashmir' _or_ 'Maybe Tomorrow,' it was something else entirely, one Charlie had never heard before. As it played, she realized it seemed to be a message, telling her to make the decision she wanted, though she still wasn't sure which one that would be. The radio's display showed that it was 'The Lost Boy,' by Greg Holden; Charlie usually took such things for granted, but now she found herself grateful that Aaron modernized his station so the signal included track details.

Charlie had thought The General was a jerk at first, but now she was intrigued by him. She had thought calling him would just be a fun, but one time, distraction from the heat and her troubles, but now she wanted more. What was it about him that'd made it so easy to talk to him? And how was it possible that he seemed to understand her enough from just a short conversation that he could choose a song she _needed_ to hear? Maybe she should call him back tomorrow night and find out?

As the song neared its end, Charlie was finally beginning to doze off. She reached over blindly, attempting to turn off the radio, but as she fumbled for the switch, she thought she heard The General speak again, "Good night, Charlie." Now Charlie was _sure_ she'd call him again. She might not get answers to all her questions, but at the very least, she _had_ to know his name.

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Bass felt a little silly talking to Charlie as he just had over the radio, wishing her good night especially. His reputation was surely shot to Hell now, but he felt bad for being so rude to her and needed to apologize. And he felt a lot better since talking to her; he was still missing his family, but spending time with her and thinking of a better song to play for her had given him something besides his grief to focus on, if only for a short time. Bass was fascinated with Charlie; he didn't know what it was about her, but he wanted the chance to get to know her better. _Much_ better. Bass seriously hoped Charlie would call again.

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A/N: Song Credits...

Chapter title: Rainy Days And Mondays - the Carpenters

In story: Burn It Down - AWOLNATION, Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics, Kashmir - Led Zeppelin, The Lost Boy - Greg Holden


	2. The Game Of Love

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! Part of this chapter really kicked my butt. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I think it at least makes more sense now, and I NEED to move on so I can finish this story.

Thanks again to LemonSupreme for your help! Also, thank you everyone for your reviews/kudos/etc.

Also, the Radar Love playlist on Spotify has been updated.

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Tuesday Night

Bass walked into the station about fifteen minutes before his shift started at midnight and immediately made a beeline for the breakroom to get coffee as he always did. Jeremy was in the booth signing off from his own 6pm - midnight show, saying _'good night'_ to his listeners as Bass passed the open door. They waved hello to each other as Bass passed by the booth's window.

"Hey Bass? Got a sec?" Jeremy called, _just_ as Bass was within sight of the coffeepot.

Bass reluctantly walked back to the door and leaned casually against its frame, waiting to hear what his boss had to say. The coffee would just have to wait.

Jeremy made Bass wait a few long seconds as he finished setting up the last block of tracks and ads that would play until Bass went on, and finally turned in his chair to face him. " _So_ , Aaron called me...," he said ominously as he stood and picked up his empty coffee cup.

Bass didn't like the sound of that; he stood up straighter, bracing himself for something he probably didn't want to hear.

"He caught your little _chat_ last night," Jeremy continued, "Going off format is one thing, you know we're behind you on that, but we can't have the FCC breathing down our neck," he said firmly. Bass wasn't sure what Jeremy was talking about, but then he realized what he'd meant by _'chat'_ and remembered that he might have used some _language_ last night when talking to Charlie over the air.

"Watch the language tonight. Ok Bass?" Jeremy ordered as he started toward the door. "Relax, buddy," Jeremy said chuckling at his friend and clapping him on the shoulder as he approached, "You're not fired. Not for your _first_ infraction."

Bass was relieved, he let out the breath he'd been holding and relaxed against the doorframe again. It'd be one thing if Bass had decided he didn't like being a DJ and quit, but being fired from the first job in six months that he actually _liked_ , and by a _friend_ , would've been a tough pill to swallow.

Jeremy continued through the door and looked back at Bass over his shoulder, "Can't. Your ratings are too good," he added with a wry smile.

Jeremy nodded in response to the incredulous look Bass must've had on his face at the news that he actually had listeners. Not knowing what to say to the revelation that he'd actually caught on with an audience, Bass just smiled, went to the console, and sat down to work.

Jeremy took a few steps then paused, turned back, and stuck his head through the doorway, "Hey, since when do you take requests, anyway?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I revised my policy," Bass said distractedly as he worked, "I'll only take _certain_ requests," he added glancing up at the other man.

Jeremy scoffed amusedly, giving Bass a knowing smile. He started to leave again, but hesitated as if debating whether to say something else, "I talked to Miles today...," he trailed off.

Bass looked up, warily narrowing his eyes at Jeremy; he just wasn't ready to deal with Miles.

" _No_ , I didn't tell him you were here," Jeremy began firmly, holding up a hand, "But he asked if I'd heard from you. Wondered how you were...," he trailed off again.

Bass went back to his task, relieved that Jeremy hadn't betrayed him too.

"Told him you'd been in touch," Jeremy continued, "That you're all right... living in Omaha,"

Bass scoffed at his choice of places. Jeremy, of all people, should've come up with a better lie to tell Miles; at the very least, he could've said Bass was still in Vegas.

Jeremy paused a moment before continuing, "Listen, you know I'm not just your boss? I'm also one of your oldest friends, and speaking as one, I'm telling you, you should call him. It's been too long. You know he's sorry about the Emma thing."

Bass glanced up, glaring at the other man, " _The Emma thing?_ You make it sound like _nothing_ ," he muttered.

Jeremy opened his mouth to respond, but Bass let out an impatient growl and continued working, letting Jeremy know the subject was closed. The subject may have been closed as far as Jeremy was concerned, but Bass still found himself thinking about what had happened again...

 _Two years ago, Bass had received a letter from Emma in which she'd dropped a bombshell that'd completely changed his life. The one time they'd slept together many years ago, while she and Miles were still engaged, had resulted in a son. Emma had chosen not to tell Bass about Connor when he was born because she'd wanted to raise him on her own, and she knew Bass would've wanted more involvement with her son than she'd been ready to accept at the time._

 _But, she'd had a change of heart when her dad had died twelve years before; they'd been close, and the huge loss made Emma see that Connor deserved to have a relationship with his own father. Emma had tried to contact Bass then, but couldn't reach him since he'd been stationed overseas. She had been able to get in touch with Miles though, and he'd told her she shouldn't tell Bass, explaining that he'd_ just _lost Shelley and their daughter in childbirth and couldn't handle the news, that Bass was_ 'off the rails' _and might even be a danger to Connor. Miles' warning had scared Emma so much that she'd decided against ever telling Bass about his son, but she'd come to_ 'deeply regret' _that decision and had written because she'd needed to apologize to Bass for never giving him another chance to know his son._

 _Bass had had mixed feelings after reading Emma's letter; on the one hand, he'd been elated that he had a son and couldn't wait to meet him, but on the other hand, Bass had been_ furious _with Emma and Miles for keeping Connor from him. Bass had_ needed _answers from both of them, but it'd been too late to ask Emma; her letter had reached him a month after she'd passed away from cancer._

 _With Emma gone, only Miles could give Bass those answers, and when he'd confronted him about the letter, Miles had explained that he hadn't told Bass and warned Emma against it because he'd been afraid the news would've made him_ 'flip out even more.' _Miles had denied it, claiming he was just trying to protect him, but Bass_ knew _Miles had made sure Connor was kept from him all those years to get back at him for_ 'fucking Emma while they were still together.'

 _Miles had apologized and had tried to make up for it by telling Bass where to find Connor. He'd been living in Mexico since finishing high school. Bass had found him right where Miles had said, but Connor had flatly told Bass he had_ nothing _to offer him, that he already had the only_ 'dad' _he needed - his boss and mentor, Luis Nunez._

 _Bass_ might've _eventually gotten over Miles' betrayal, if it hadn't been for Connor's stinging rejection. Bass was certain it never would've happened if he'd been able to meet Connor years sooner; he felt that Miles had taken away his only remaining family, and that had ultimately proven to be the proverbial last nail in their friendship's coffin._

Jeremy rapped on the booth's window, interrupting Bass's thoughts. He looked up to see what the other man wanted. "Call him," Jeremy mouthed through the glass, making a phone gesture with his hand, as he passed by on his way to the exit. Bass sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, and went back to work.

Bass had kept trying for nearly two years, but Connor still wasn't interested in having a relationship with him, and lately, Bass had come to realize that Connor might never come around, that _Miles_ may be the closest thing to family he had left. Bass had begun to forgive him and consider trying to renew their friendship. Thankfully, it seemed, since he'd asked Jeremy about him, that Miles might be open to the idea. Bass wanted to see how things worked out first though - everything _seemed_ to be going well, now that he'd learned he had fans, and that he'd _hopefully_ made a friend in Charlie, but Bass still wasn't sure about staying in Chicago. If he didn't, he felt it would be better if Miles never knew he'd been there.

As Bass finished his preparations, he found his mind drifting back to Charlie for about the umpteenth time today. What was it about her that just her sexy voice on the phone could affect him so? He didn't think it was likely, given how big a jerk he'd been when she first called, but he hoped she would call back tonight and that he could find out why he couldn't get Charlie out if his head.

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It was midnight, and normally Charlie would be in bed by around 11:30, but even though the air conditioner had been fixed and she would've been _able_ to sleep, Charlie found herself too wound up to even make herself go to bed. She had too much on her mind again tonight...

 _Charlie usually finished work by 4pm, but she and Harmony had worked an extra two hours to finish a special order so it could be shipped first thing in the morning. When Charlie had checked her phone after they finished, she saw there were four missed calls from Rachel in two hours._

 _Thinking it must be an emergency, Charlie had called back only to hear another lecture about her career choices. Charlie understood her mom's point of view, but the daily nagging had to stop, so she'd finally told Rachel that she would make her decision, with or without, her support._ 'You're just going to have to trust me, mom,' _Charlie had said, making it clear that the topic was no longer up for debate._

 _Surprisingly, Rachel had agreed to give her the space she needed to make her decision, though Charlie suspected she was resorting to reverse psychology and that she hadn't actually heard the last of it, but she'd take it. Harmony knew what Charlie had been dealing with and had suggested they go for drinks to celebrate, so she didn't make it home until almost 8pm._

 _When Charlie had walked through the door, she'd been ecstatic to find her air conditioner had been fixed, just as the super had promised. Between that and her victory in the war of wills with her mother, and the buzz she still felt from the drinks she'd had, Charlie had been unable to wind down._

The biggest reason she couldn't go to bed though, was that Charlie couldn't stop thinking about The General. She kept wondering why he'd chosen the song he did and why he'd been in such a bad mood when he first answered the phone, and she couldn't wait to hear his sexy voice speaking _to_ her again. She didn't want to seem too eager though, so she planned to wait until the time she'd called last night.

A few minutes after midnight, Charlie turned on the radio and settled on the sofa with a novel she'd been reading. 'Gimme Shelter' was playing; seemed The General _would_ actually play Classic Rock sometimes. She wondered what else he would play - what was his mood tonight? The songs he'd played last night seemed to be mostly angry in tone, but as she kept listening, tonight's selections seemed mellower, cheerful even, in comparison - there were even one or two love songs.

At about 1am, Charlie heard Blondie's 'Call Me' and she couldn't help wondering if it or any of the love songs The General had played were for her, but she told herself that it had to be just a coincidence. Still, the idea was intriguing and Charlie was getting even more excited to talk to him, and began thinking about what song she might ask for tonight. Of the many that came to mind, Charlie narrowed her choices down to three possibilities that she'd use depending on how their conversation went: one mushy, one suggestive, and one for if she had to tell him off.

After she'd listened for another hour, Charlie decided she'd waited long enough; she put her book down on the coffee table and carried the radio into the bedroom. She got comfortable in bed and placed the radio next to her as she had last night, picked up her phone and dialed the request line. Charlie's heart was pounding with excitement as she waited for The General to answer.

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As Bass worked, he kept answering the request line whenever it rang hoping it'd be Charlie. Fortunately, there weren't many calls - apparently, most of his fans had gotten the memo that he didn't _do_ requests. But since he was answering tonight, if he liked the song they asked for, he'd play it, if not, he'd just say _'no'_ and hang up. A few callers complained that he was playing softer music than usual, but Bass simply reminded them that he played whatever he wanted before hanging up on them too.

Bass found himself playing a few tracks that had some obvious reference to telephones in their title or lyrics, so that if Charlie was listening, she'd hopefully get the hint. Like talking to her on-air last night, he felt silly doing it, but he needed her to know he wanted to talk to her again. What was it about this woman?

By 2am, Bass had started losing hope that Charlie would call and thought about giving up, but he just couldn't not answer when another call came in, "W-BAK?" he answered.

"Hi," Charlie began, suddenly feeling nervous - what if he didn't remember her? "It's Charlie?" she said uncertainly, "I called last night... to make a request?" she clarified.

Bass's heart raced at the sound of her voice, "Yeah, I remember," he said, "Can't sleep again, huh?" he asked huskily. He thought about asking if she'd noticed any of the songs he'd played for her, but since he already felt silly playing them, he'd feel even sillier asking about it.

Charlie loved it when his voice went low and raspy like that, "Nope," she sighed, "Not really tired yet." Charlie wanted to ask if any of the songs he'd played tonight were for her, but she decided she'd better stick to the questions she _needed_ answers to, and began before he could say anything else, "I was wondering... what made you choose the song you played for me last night? I caught the title, but I've never heard it before."

"What _did_ I play?" Bass asked, more to himself, as he thought. "Oh yeah, 'The Lost Boy.' You might say it's sort of my anthem. Thought you might like it," he said simply. Bass had really chosen it because she'd seemed to need more than just help falling to sleep last night, but he was afraid to say so, believing Charlie would think he was crazy.

Charlie thought he might be holding something back, that there was more to his reason than just thinking she'd like the song, but decided not to pursue it, "I did. Thank you," Charlie said. She was touched that he'd share it with her. And now she wished she'd listened closer to the lyrics, but she had at least gotten the gist - don't let your past, or other people, dictate your future. A message, Charlie realized, that had helped her deal with her mother earlier.

"Did it help you relax?" Bass asked uncertainly.

"Yes, it did," Charlie answered.

"I'm glad," Bass said. "Did you get the stuff keeping you awake last night worked out?"

Charlie was impressed that he'd remembered so much of their conversation. "Yes and no...," she hesitated, remembering her talk with Rachel, "I still have a big decision to make, but now it's going to be _a lot_ easier."

"Good. How 'bout your A/C? Uh...," Bass hesitated, "Did you sit naked in front of the fridge? You know... like you said? To get relief?" Bass suddenly felt foolish for asking but he really did want to know.

Charlie had hoped he'd forgotten _that_ part of last night's conversation, but she couldn't help giggling at his attempt at flirting, " _My_ , aren't _we_ nosy?"

Bass was relieved she didn't hang up on him, "Let's just say...," he paused for a second, "The mental image made for a _really nice_ dream." He had indeed seen images of a naked woman splayed out in front of an open refrigerator in his dreams while he slept after work.

" _I see_ ," Charlie giggled again, a little embarrassed. "Yes, the A/C's fixed. But _no_ , I didn't sit naked in front of the fridge," she paused, "Didn't want to waste electricity," she added hastily. It wasn't the only reason she hadn't, but it sounded valid.

"That's too bad...," Bass lamented, clicking his tongue.

Charlie was enjoying his flirting and wanted to see just how far he would take it, but she decided it was best to change the subject - besides, she still had questions, "So, why were you in a bad mood last night?" she asked, concerned, "Your apology?" she clarified.

Bass was disappointed by the new subject - he would've preferred to keep flirting - but he was touched by Charlie's concern and wanted to open up to her. He took a deep breath to steady himself, "Nineteen years ago, last night," he began, his voice shaking slightly, "My parents and little sisters were killed by a drunk driver."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Charlie said sympathetically, "That would put me in a bad mood too." She felt terrible for him and she physically shuddered at the idea of anyone losing their whole family at once like that. As much as she couldn't stand her mother sometimes, Charlie would be devastated if she lost her, or anyone else she loved.

After a long pause, Bass finally spoke again, "Thank you," he said softly, almost whispering.

When he didn't say anything else, Charlie thought he was done talking and thought about saying goodbye, but he started speaking again.

"You were my first request, you know?" Bass said matter-of-factly. "I never even answered the line before last night." He wasn't sure why, but he needed her to know that.

"Really?" Charlie asked, surprised by his admission. She knew The General played whatever he wanted, but she'd assumed answering the phone was part of his job and that he just refused to play the callers' requests.

"Yeah, but last night... I guess...," Bass trailed off, wondering how much to reveal, "I needed to talk to someone. And I'm glad it was you," he said. Sensing he was getting too serious, Bass switched tacks before she could respond, " _So_ , what's Charlie short for?" he flirted.

Charlie heard what he'd said and wanted to say she was glad she could help, but she knew the sudden change of topic meant he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she answered his question instead, "Guess," she said, flirting right back.

" _OK_ , but if I get it right, you have to go out with me," he teased. Bass knew she could turn out to be nuts or less attractive than he imagined, but there was something special about Charlie - he was sure she was worth the risk. He pictured her as being beautiful, but after years of mostly casual flings, Bass had reached a point where he _knew_ looks weren't everything, and he was ready to consider something real again, like he'd had with Shelley.

Charlie knew he _could_ be a total creep, but he didn't seem like one, plus she was lonely and it seemed like harmless fun to play his little game. She was _sure_ he had to be attractive, but even if he wasn't, looks alone didn't matter. Jason was handsome, but his vanity and controlling manner canceled that out. Now, maturity was more important to Charlie than appearance. She was no fool though, if she did end up going out with The General, she'd insist on meeting in the best 'public place' she knew - Uncle Miles' bar. And, thanks to Uncle Miles, if The General really was a creep, Charlie knew how to protect herself, "OK," she said firmly, "But you only get one chance per night. _If_ I call back," she teased.

Bass's heart skipped a beat at the thought he might actually get to meet Charlie. His next night off wasn't until Saturday, and he didn't want to give her too much time to back out of a date by guessing too soon, so Bass chose the most unlikely name beginning with 'C' he could think of off the top of his head, "Agreed. So... Is it... Christine?" he asked tentatively. Prolonging their game also gave her the chance to end it if she wanted to, though he _really_ hoped she wouldn't.

"Nope," Charlie said, laughing at his guess, she'd never met any Christine who went by Charlie. Part of her was relieved that he hadn't gotten her name on his first try though; she liked The General but she needed to know more about him before actually committing to going on a date. "Hey, what's _your_ name, by the way?" she asked, remembering that was something she'd planned to ask tonight.

"My friends call me Bass," he answered simply.

Charlie thought his name seemed familiar, like something from her childhood... _maybe_... but she couldn't place it, so she shrugged off her déjà vu; it was probably nothing anyway. "What's it short for?"

"I'll tell you _when_ we go out," Bass said coyly.

"Ok," was all she could think to say. Charlie glanced at the clock on her nightstand; it was well after 2:30 and she really did need to go to bed. First though, she needed to decide which of the songs she'd thought of earlier to request. Charlie chose the mushy one, whose title perfectly described the effect _Bass_ was having on her, "I don't mean to run out on you," she said regretfully, "But I have to get up for work in a few hours."

Bass was disappointed, but as much as he wanted to keep talking to Charlie, he realized he did need to focus on work. "That's OK," he said, trying to keep his disappointment from showing, "I really _should_ get back to work," he chuckled.

Charlie could tell he was disappointed, but she hoped her song would reassure him that she would call back again, "Hey, could you play 'Mystified' by Fleetwood Mac tonight?" she asked pleadingly, afraid he would refuse to play this song too.

Bass didn't care for Charlie's choice tonight any more than last night's; he generally didn't like post-70's Fleetwood Mac, but he couldn't refuse her two nights in a row. "Last night's was to help you sleep, so what's this one for?" he asked genuinely curious.

"Dedication...," Charlie answered. She hesitated a second, thinking about how much to say; deciding to go for it even though she was nervous, "I just... _sort of_ met this man...," she hinted, "And, I can't figure him out... but I want to," she admitted.

Bass's breath hitched at the realization she meant him, "Yeah?" he asked, a lump forming in his throat.

"Mmhm," she murmured, "So will you play it?"

Bass loved it when Charlie's voice sounded low and sexy like that. "Mmhm," he murmured back. Remembering Jeremy's warning, and because he needed to nip the idea that he took requests in the bud, Bass glanced at his monitor to see exactly when he could play Charlie's song so he wouldn't need to announce it this time, "There's two tracks and a commercial break in the queue, but I'll play it right after." He paused a long moment to think of song to play in response that would tell Charlie he was just as _'mystified_ ' by her. "And stick around for the one after it."

His voice was so seductive that Charlie could almost hear him winking at her. "Ok," she answered incredulously, wondering what he meant, but she couldn't wait to find out, "Thanks." She wished she could keep talking to him, "Good night, Bass."

"Good night, Charlie," Bass said reluctantly. "Talk to ya tomorrow?" he added uncertainly.

" _Definitely_ ," Charlie assured him and hung up.

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True to his word, Bass played 'Mystified' right after the commercial, and the song that followed, 'Mystery Woman,' by Finn, seemed to be a reply; like the one Bass had played last night, she'd never heard this song either. Charlie wasn't sure what she'd expected the second song to be, but it wasn't this beautiful love song, and she knew it meant that he felt the same about her.

As the song finished, Charlie felt both intrigued and scared, suddenly wondering _wha_ t she was getting herself into. She lay awake awhile thinking she should probably end things before it went too far, but when she heard Bass again, announcing the next song, the sound of his voice reassured her that he might just be worth the risk, and she finally drifted off.

* * *

A/N: Song Credits...

Chapter title: The Game Of Love - Santana & Tina Turner

In story: Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones, Call Me - Blondie, Mystified - Fleetwood Mac, Mystery Woman - Finn


End file.
